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Jury Selection Begins In Huguely Trial

Jury selection has started in the trial against former University of Virginia lacrosse player George Huguely, who is accused of killing women's lacrosse player Yeardley Love.

In court Monday, the 24-year-old Huguely entered a plea of not guilty.

According to court documents, the 22-year-old Love was found in her off-campus apartment on May 3, 2010, in a pool of her own blood. A roommate called 911 because she thought Love was having an alcohol overdose. Paramedics later found evidence of physical trauma.

Police arrested Huguely, her ex-boyfriend, and charged him with murder.

11 News reporter Lowell Melser said that, just before 8:30 a.m. Monday, Love's family was escorted through a back door of the Charlottesville Circuit Courthouse. Huguely's father quickly walked past cameras in the front.

Melser said the first day of Huguely's murder trial was devoted to jury selection, which became a long and tedious process.

Of the more than 160 potential jurors to be questioned, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the defense will cut the field down to 27. Melser said each side will then get six "strikes," narrowing the jury down to 12, with three alternates.

Some of the more popular questions asked of potential jurors Monday concerned whether a juror would be able to find Huguely innocent or guilty and if they had reservations about reasonable doubt. They were also asked if they had problems looking at extremely graphic photos and if they had already formed an opinion because of media coverage or someone they knew close to the case.

By day's end, both families and those close to them left the courthouse with no comment for reporters. The judge in the case has issued a gag order until a verdict is reached.

Officials at the university in Charlottesville, Va., have warned students and staff of the emotional toll the case could present to the community.

More than 160 notices went out on Feb. 1 to potential jurors, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will be questioned for the Huguely trial, Melser said.

JURY SELECTION EXPLAINED

To better understand how the jury selection works in Virginia, Melser spoke with Lloyd Snook, who has been a defense attorney in Charlottesville for more than 32 years and has had more than 100 murder cases. Snook said this particular case has a real limited jury pool because UVa. staff and students will most likely be stricken.

"I expect that we're going to end up with a fair number of retirees, government employees, other people who have jobs that will (allow) them two weeks off for jury service," Snook said.

Snook said the defense is looking for an open mind, and the commonwealth still faces challenges -- even though most of the publicity surrounding the case is in its favor.

"So, for the defense, you want to say, 'I think I?ve heard some things about the case, but I will restrict my decision to what I hear and see in the courtroom,' and the challenge for the prosecution is they want to get jurors who are sensitive to those issues but not so committed that they (would be excluded) from cause," Snook said.

Lowell Melser will be filing reports throughout the trial from Charlottesville, Va.

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